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Thank you for making it so obvious that the Redskins shouldn’t be looking elsewhere for a starting quarterback next season and beyond. It’s obvious that you are that man.

I had been holding to the belief that it would take an entire season of Cousins starting under center to make an honest assessment of him. But even with two games left, it’s clear that he’s progressed so much faster than anyone expected, proving that he can be the man to lead this team in the future.

Cousins added another excellent performance to his growing resume in Sunday’s 35-25 win over the Bills at FedExField. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 319 yards with no interceptions and tied his career-high of four touchdown passes. His passer rating of 153.7 was one-tenth of a point shy of his second perfect passer rating this season. It was his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season, a Redskins team record. He also ran 13 yards for a score, his fifth rushing touchdown this season.

The victory put the 7-7 Redskins firmly in first place in the NFC East, a game ahead of both the Giants, who fell to Carolina, and the Eagles, losers to the Cardinals. The Redskins face the Eagles on Saturday in Philly, where a win will clinch Washington's first division title since 2012. Who would have this could happen so fast?

Cousins’ teammates left no doubt afterward that they’ve witnessed an immense growth spurt in the quarterback who once looked dejected with his shoulders sagging after throwing an interception, but now exudes confidence, maturity and an ability to take command.

“It’s been great, no matter what happens he’s never getting frazzled, he’s always level-headed, center Josh LeRibeus said. “He was a little soft-spoken earlier in the year, but he’s got a voice now. He takes advantage of it, he gets us all going. He knows what to do.”

“He’s gotten better each and every start he’s had,” Golston said. “It’s his fourth year in the NFL, but as far as starts he’s still a very young player. But you can see the process of him making big-time plays and allowing his football team to win football games.”

Cousins was once known as an interception machine with a tendency to throw passes that were picked off at the most inopportune times. One would expect him to make that fateful mistake. No more. He has 11 interceptions this season, but only three over the past nine games.

He was asked about spending the first three years of his career mostly looking on while Robert Griffin III took almost all of the snaps.

“Yeah, I think any experience you have is going to make you better, whether it’s a positive experience or a negative experience,” he said. “I’ve learned from every opportunity that I’ve gotten playing – whether it went well or poorly – learning and trying to grow from it.”

Cousins has been phenomenal as the Redskins have bolted to huge leads the past two weeks. In a 24-21 win over the Bears on Dec. 13, he completed 10 of 11 passes on 80- and 93-yard touchdown drives on the Redskins’ first two possessions. Against Buffalo, he went 13 of 16 on 84-, 71- and 56-yard touchdown drives on Washington’s first three possessions. Cousins attributed the hot starts to the play calling of offensive coordinator Sean McVay, saying he does a great job of selecting the team’s best 15 to 20 plays and using them early in the game.

The big question now is whether the Redskins will sign Cousins to a big money, long-term deal before free agency begins in March, place the franchise tag on him, or let him hit the open market, where there will certainly be a high demand for his services. Cousins will have to decide if he even wants to become a free agent. Although he’s so comfortable in one system, there’s no guarantee he’ll be as successful with another team. Just look up the names Matt Flynn and Matt Cassel.

Before the Buffalo game, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason LaCanfora reported that Cousins will be back with the Redskins next season, even if they have to sign him using the franchise tag. LaCanfora attributed his report to “sources with knowledge of the situation.”

I sure hope Cousins is again wearing the Burgundy & Gold next season. Franchise quarterbacks are very hard to find. Just ask the Redskins, where there’s been a revolving door at the position. It’s been 30 years since they had their last one. His name: Joe Theismann.

One of the most grisly scenes ever in sports took place on Nov. 18, 1985. Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor penetrated the backfield, leaped on the back of Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, and bulldogged him down as other Giants converged, shattering Theismann’s right leg in several places. Some 53,000 fans at RFK Stadium, plus millions of Monday night TV viewers, witnessed the horrific play, which left Theismann in agony on the field. Seldom-used backup QB Jay Schroeder stepped in and led the Skins to a 23-21 win. Meanwhile, Theismann underwent a rehabilitation process, and vowed to return for his 13th NFL season in 1986. But his right leg failed to cooperate, and he was forced to retire.

The rebuilding plan for the Washington Redskins is right on schedule. A review of their 47-14 dismantling of the Saints on Sunday validates that point.

The Redskins, who improved to 4-5, played four quality quarters, with important contributions from offense, defense and special teams. After the Saints tied the game at 14 early in the second quarter, the Redskins gradually built a lead and kept their foot on the gas pedal, dropping the reeling Saints to 4-6. That’s what good teams do.

“We said we wanted to play a full game,” rookie guard Brandon Scherff said in a giddy post-game locker room. “We’ve played some games for only one half. Had a lot of fun out there.”

They had fun while their three NFC East foes lost, leaving the division like a traffic jam: Giants (5-5), Redskins (4-5), Eagles (4-5). Can the Redskins win the division? Anything is possible in the mediocre NFC East.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has faced so much scrutiny of his ability to be a quality starter in the NFL, played the game of his life against a weak Saints defense. He posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating after completing 20 of 25 for 324 yards with no interceptions and a career-high four touchdowns. It was the first perfect passer rating in the league this season with a minimum of 20 attempts.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cousins also became the first Redskins quarterback and the 13th in NFL history to do all of these in the same game:

--- Complete 80 percent of his passes

--- Pass for 300 or more yards

--- Throw at least four touchdowns

--- Throw no interceptions

Cousins, who is likely to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, crafted his flawless performance with four legendary Redskin quarterbacks in the house in Sonny Jurgensen, Billy Kilmer, Joe Theismann and Doug Williams. I’m sure they were impressed.

“He was obviously very good,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “You have a perfect passer rating, you’re going to be pretty good. But really the people around him. I think the offensive line did a good job. I think players took some short passes, turned them into big plays for him. He delivered the ball with great efficiency, with great decision making, and the results were outstanding, obviously.”

Cousins wasn’t alone. The running game returned to its dominant form from the first two weeks of the season. After averaging only 2.2 yards per carry over the past four games, the Redskins rushed for 213 yards with a whopping 6.9 average. Alfred Morris, Matt Jones and Chris Thompson rushed for 92, 56 and 54 yards, respectively. Jones also turned a screen pass into a 78-yard touchdown, showing his versatility to find open space and speed to outrace defenders. He’s a keeper.

Overall, the offense amassed 514 yards, as the Redskins eclipsed the 500-yard mark for the first time since a 37-34 loss to the Eagles in the third week last season.

The defense, for its part, shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the league. In addition to holding New Orleans scoreless for nearly three quarters, the Redskins put a stranglehold on future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. After throwing a 60-yard scoring pass that tied the game at 14, Brees struggled the rest of the way and threw two interceptions. Safety Dashon Goldson caught one of them on a deflection and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown for a 44-14 fourth-quarter lead. The defense also stopped the Saints on a 4th and 1 on the Redskins’ 31 early in the fourth quarter.

The 33-point margin of victory was the Redskins’ largest since beating the 49ers 35, 52-17, in 2005. After the game, Gruden and his troops echoed the feeling that the team had an excellent week of practice after looking lifeless in their 27-10 loss to the Patriots.

“We practiced with great energy, great focus, and it carried over to the game,” Gruden said. “So it was great to see those guys all step up – offense, defense. Defense against a heck of a quarterback, heck of an offensive scheme over there. Of course, special teams played well, also.”

Back to Cousins. The fourth-year quarterback will be a free agent after this year. Should the Redskins re-sign him? I’m waiting until the end of this season before saying one way or another, but he made a powerful case against the Saints for being retaining.

Remember when No. 8 would throw interceptions that resulted from maddening decisions that would make your eyes roll? Get this: He hasn’t thrown an interception that was clearly his fault in more than 13 quarters. The one he tossed against the Patriots was a perfect strike that bounced off of Pierre Garcon. Clearly, the NFL game has slowed down for Cousins, who has become much more patient in the pocket and more astute at reading defenses.

“I can see the confidence growing in Kirk each week,” said tight end Jordan Reed, who caught two touchdown passes against the Saints. “He’s a great player.”

Cousins delivered in a must-win game. A loss would have meant the 2015 season was essentially over, with the 3-6 Redskins staring at 3-7 with one of the league’s best teams, Carolina, on the slate next week. A loss would have also triggered conversation about the status of Gruden, who in his second season must improve on last season’s four-win total by two or three games.

I keep stressing to those impatient that it’s going to take at least three more seasons for general manager Scot McLoughan and company to round the Redskins into a team consistently able to make a deep push in the playoffs. Just let him work his magic in acquiring talent like he did in Seattle and San Francisco, and good things are bound to happen.

In an appearance on The Chris Russell Show on ESPN 980 on Feb. 11, 2015, Mike Richman compares the last two decades of Redskins futility to the quarter-century period after World War II, another era of Redskins ineptitude. He cites stark similarities between the two periods beyond a sub-.500 winning percentage. He also talks with Russell, the Redskins' beat reporter for ESPN 980, about comparisons between Redskins executive Bruce Allen and Bruce's father, legendary Redskins coach and Hall of Famer George Allen. Check it out!

Famous Redskins QB Joe Theismann is Mike Richman's special guest on this episode of "Burgundy & Gold Flashback." The always-opinionated Theismann evaluates a 3-7 Redskins team with two straight losses, most recently an embarrassing 27-7 disappearing act against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 16, 2014. He opines on the Redskins' precarious QB situation, with RGIII coming off a terrible performance against the Bucs (23-32, 207 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 73.3 rating) and showing what coach Jay Gruden called "fundamental flaw," and is asked if he stands by his preseason comments that Kirk Cousins should be starting over Griffin, for one, because he has better awareness as a pocket passer.

Former Redskins receiver Virgil Seay is Mike Richman's special guest on this episode of "Burgundy & Gold Flashback." Seay, a Redskin from 1981-84, talks about his distinction as one of "The Smurfs," the Redskins' trio of pint-sized receivers at the time. He also compares and contrasts first-year Redskins coach Jay Gruden with Joe Gibbs, whose first season with the Redskins was in 1981, and shares his thoughts on the 3-6 Redskins as they prepare to exit their bye week with a game against Tampa Bay on Nov. 16, 2014.

Since the late 1990s, the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have engaged in a mini-rivalry, despite playing in different divisions.

They've split their last 12 meetings, 11 of which have been decided by seven or fewer points, with three one-point games and one victory apiece in playoff clashes. True to form, their last encounter on Sept. 30, 2012, was a thriller. After three earlier misses, Billy Cundiff hit a 41-yard field goal with three seconds left for a 24-22 Redskins win.

In this episode of "Burgundy & Gold Flashback," Redskins great Ken Harvey joins host Mike Richman to discuss his career in D.C., where he earned four-time Pro Bowl honors and established himself as one of the greatest linebackers in Redskins history. Harvey played five seasons for the Redskins as part of a 12-year career. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with Washington in 1994, the same year Norv Turner began coaching the Redskins. On "Burgundy & Gold Flashback," Harvey compares the start of the Turner era with that of Jay Gruden, who, like Turner, was hired by the Redskins as a rookie NFL head coach in 2014. Check it out!

In the big picture, the Redskins’ 24-22 win over the Patriots in 1981 seemed void of major significance. The Redskins improved to 2-6 in an already tumultuous season in which the playoffs had become a distant thought.

Realistically, though, beating the Patriots was very important. The victory kicked off a four-game win streak that helped propel the Redskins to an 8-8 finish in their first season under rookie coach Joe Gibbs.

They captured eight of their last 11 games in all, even rising to playoff contention, and generated momentum heading into their 1982 Super Bowl-winning season and beyond in the Gibbs-I glory era.

On July 8, 1975, a giant appeared at a Redskins-arranged news conference at Duke Zeibert’s restaurant in D.C. Redskins coach George Allen had tapped his personnel director, Tim Temerario, to find a run-stopping defensive lineman who could also block kicks. And Temerario thought 7-foot-5, 445-pound pro wrestler Andre the Giant, a man known as the “8th wonder of the world,” could fit the bill. But the French wrestler, who was accompanied at the press conference by his agent, future pro wrestling magnate Vince McMahon, bolted town that evening for a match at Madison Square Garden in New York. By all accounts, he never tried out for the Redskins and never signed a contract.

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Mike Richman is the man with all of the answers when it comes to Redskins history. A journalist who has covered sports for a quarter-century, Mike is the author of the two most comprehensive books on Redskins history – the Washington Redskins Football Vault and The Redskins Encyclopedia. He also served as lead editor and co-author of Joe Gibbs: An Enduring Legacy, a photo-heavy book that highlights the amazing life achievements of legendary Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. Mike's articles on Redskins history have appeared in myriad publications, and he has hosted an award-winning Redskins TV show called “Burgundy & Gold Magazine” and a podcast called "Burgundy & Gold Flashback."

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About Mike

Redskins historian and journalist Mike Richman is the author of the two most comprehensive books on Redskins history – The Redskins Encyclopedia and the Washington Redskins Football Vault: The History of a Proud Franchise. Mike also served as lead editor and co-author of Joe Gibbs: An Enduring Legacy, a photo-heavy book that reviews the amazing life achievements of legendary Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. Mike has also hosted a podcast focusing on Redskins history called "Burgundy & Gold Flashback," which brings listeners front and center with the team's tradition, and he has produced and hosted a TV show called "Burgundy & Gold Magazine." For his work on "Burgundy & Gold Magazine," Mike won first place for sports coverage in the nationally recognized 2013 Hometown Media Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Community Media. He's been interviewed extensively by print and broadcast media on Redskins...